Beamer wrote on Feb 25, 2013, 20:39:If the massive failure of JC Penny proves anything, it's that most people are motivated not by everyday low prices but by getting a bargain, especially a time-sensitive bargain that's act-now or lose.

Hmm this must be why there's never anyone at Walmart eh.

I dunno, I've never been in one, but I do know that they still run sales. And I do know that games at Walmart are the same as everywhere else.

Sales bring in people. Period. Everyone loves a deal. If you walk into a store and see something is $39.99 you may shrug. If you see it's $49.99 but $39.99 this week only you're more likely to buy it.

Need proof? Ask this board how many games they buy at Steam Sales but don't actually play until after the regular price has dropped that low, or even lower.

My guess is just that they will get more aggressive with their sales and price reductions rather than releasing at lower prices. And I'd guess most people would rather pay $69.99 for a few titles, like Call of Duty, rather than have some extra asinine monetization scheme.

Lastly, the big price crunch is coming from apps. People get tons of gaming value on their mobile for free to $0.99. It's hard to get them to jump up, even if the quality is there. This is why I think there will be more of a race down to the $19.99 mark and titles will hit it quicker. But they'll still be priced higher, just on sale. Constantly, perpetual sales.

Seriously, saying Steam does 30% of its business during the Christmas sale is a pretty safe estimate.